Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I am addressing the amendment to the motion. We have spent over €500 million on this scheme. It is unfair to mislead the farmers of this country by saying that the closing date for the scheme can be extended. It has been clearly negotiated by the Minister. It is impossible to change the closing date. We must make it clear that the scheme will terminate on 31 December. The cash will be paid. Over €500 million will be paid to the farmers of this country. Some €125 million has been included in the budget that was agreed this week to ensure that payments will be made on foot of claims which are made before 31 December. These are the facts. The Opposition has misled people on this issue. It misled them in other ways in the past. We have to deal with the facts of the situation. Fine Gael took decisions that it was unable to follow up. It left farmers in a serious crisis. We had to renegotiate in Europe to save Irish agriculture.

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